Your Tricky Recycling Questions–Answered!

Landfills are filling up faster and faster each year, and they are hurting the environment and taking up a lot of space. Many household items are recycled, which means that when disposed of properly they can be reused. This helps the landfills fill up less quickly and helps the environment.

Other household items may be recyclable depending on your city and state laws.

How to Recycle Common Household Items

The majority of American cities and towns offer recycling programs, and recycling is generally picked up by the sanitation department. This is the same department that picks up your garbage. You can recycle items by creating a separate waste bin in your house for recyclable items. You will need to separate the mixed papers and cardboard from the glass, plastics and metals before recycling them. If you live in a house, you can usually request a recycling bin from the sanitation department, or you can buy one from a home improvement, grocery or hardware store. You can request recycling labels from the sanitation department to label your new bins. If you live in an apartment building or townhouse you can ask your manager what you need to do to recycle. Remember, some items, like polystyrene foam, cannot be recycled in curbside recycling programs.

What Is Polystyrene Foam and Can It Be Recycled?

Polystyrene foam is a plastic that is petroleum-based and made from the styrene monomer. Most people know polystyrene foam as “Styrofoam”. It was created for use as insulation in homes since it is moisture resistant, but is also found in many common household items. Most polystyrene foam items can be recycled, with the exception of food and beverage containers.

What Common Household Items Contain Polystyrene Foam?

Polystyrene foam, or Styrofoam, is found in take-out boxes, packing peanuts, foam egg cartons, protective packaging found in electronic boxes, coffee cups, Styrofoam cups, plates and bowls bought at grocery stores and some other household items.

How to Recycle Polystyrene Foam

There are a few different options for recycling polystyrene foam. You can take it to a polystyrene foam recycling center, send it in the mail to an organization like The Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers or you can simply try and reuse the polystyrene foam on your own.